NHS England are inviting local NHS organisations and their partners to apply for free access to patient activation licences, which will help them assess and build their patients’ knowledge, skills and confidence, empowering people to make decisions about their own health and care.

The Patient Activation Measure (PAM) is a validated tool which captures the extent to which people feel engaged and confident in taking care of their health and wellbeing.

Measuring Patient Activation forms a core element of the NHS Five Year Forward View’s ambition for the NHS to become better at helping people to manage their own health by ‘staying healthy, making informed choices of treatment, managing conditions and avoiding complications’.

Evidence collated in a report by the King’s Fund in 2014 shows that people who recognise that they have a key role in self-managing their condition, and have the skills, knowledge and confidence to do so, experience better health outcomes. One American study cited in the report found that the risk of highly activated patients being re-admitted to hospital following discharge was almost half that of less activated patients.

However, ability levels vary from person to person, which makes understanding and measuring an individual’s level of activation so important.

NHS England has been testing the use of PAM in 5 CCGs and the UK Renal Registry since 2014.

An independent interim evaluation report by the University of Leicester looking at the experience in Sheffield and the other participating areas has also been published today. The qualitative study provides practical lessons and considerations for those who wish to use the PAM in their local areas.

The application process for licences is now open – details of how organisations can apply are available on the NHS England website.

The closing date for applications is 12pm on Tuesday 17 May 2016, and it is expected that the successful applicants will be announced in early June.